


Blue Moon

by katedf



Series: Astronomy in Paradise [3]
Category: Death in Paradise
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2013-09-29
Packaged: 2017-12-25 17:48:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/955944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katedf/pseuds/katedf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rare events are said to happen “once in a blue moon.” What better night for Richard to do something he never thought he’d do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Significance of Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

> What a summer for astronomy! We had the solstice, a supermoon, and then meteor showers. I thought I was done with astronomy stories, but then we had a blue moon in August, so I wrote a story for it, too.

For weeks, Dwayne had tried to figure out what was so funny about fireworks. The station had been pretty quiet since the Solstice Festival. Camille seemed fidgety, but Dwayne didn’t think it was from boredom. She kept making sly references to fireworks, and these references made the Chief uncomfortable. What was so funny about fireworks? The morning after the Solstice Festival, Camille had nearly fallen off her chair when the Chief had asked him about the fireworks. Later that day, Camille said something about fireworks to the Chief to make him blush bright red. And Camille looked very smug. 

-o-o-o-o-

When they were planning for the Prince George celebration, fireworks came up again. When the Chief went through the schedule of events, one item was unfamiliar.

“Um, Chief?”

“Yes, Dwayne?”

“What is a grand illumination?”

“It’s an old-fashioned name for fireworks.”

Camille snorted, and the Chief glared at her before continuing his instructions. 

Later that day, Camille had insisted that the schedule keep them all free for the fireworks. This made Dwayne suspect that fireworks were significant in her relationship with the Chief. But then the Chief invited everyone to the beach house to watch together. So were fireworks _not_ significant to the Chief? Judging by Camille’s disappointment, they definitely were significant to her.

-o-o-o-o-

Dwayne was surprised when Camille asked him for help on the morning of the Prince George celebration.

“Could you, I don’t know, have a reason to leave fairly soon after the fireworks are over?” 

“Camille, what are you up to?”

“It’s just—Fidel and Juliet will take Rosie home after the fireworks, and…”

“You want to be alone with the Chief.”

Camille sighed. “Yes.”

Dwayne was even more surprised later that day. As they were getting ready to go out to the beach, the Chief took him aside.

“Um, Dwayne?”

“Yes, Chief?”

“Someone from the team should probably go back into town after the fireworks. You know, to keep an eye on the things as everyone closes up shop.”

“Yes?”

“Well, the thing is, normally, I’d just stay at the station, but I have to be at the beach if everyone else is. And as I’ll already be home…”

“Sure, Chief, I’ll be glad to do it. I was going to go back into town anyhow to see what the after-party will be like.”

“That’s great! Um, I mean, that’s very helpful, thank you.”

The Chief walked away, and Dwayne grinned. So, they BOTH wanted him out of the way. The Chief wasn’t the spontaneous type. If he was arranging to be alone with Camille, he must be sure of what he wanted. 

Dwayne would have to talk to Fidel about this. They needed to be careful and not say anything that could make the couple uncomfortable. If tonight turned out to be The Night, it was up to Camille and the Chief to decide what to tell people. If they wanted to keep it a secret, Dwayne would go along. 

-o-o-o-o-

Catherine watched the fireworks from La Kaz. Because they were over so early, the usual Saturday nightlife of the Honoré bars was only barely getting started when families passed by, making their way home. Vendors started to pack up and a few stopped at La Kaz for a drink. Around the main street, music shifted from kid-friendly to something more danceable. 

Catherine watched for Camille. Instead, she saw Dwayne. Even though he wasn’t in uniform, he looked very official, talking to the last of the vendors and helping one get his truck out of a tight parking space. Camille had said the whole team was going out to Richard’s house to watch the fireworks. Fidel and Juliet would have taken Rosie home by now. And Dwayne had drawn close-down duty. That just left Camille and Richard unaccounted for, but presumably still at his house. 

Dwayne walked over to Catherine when he saw her wave to him. He accepted a beer and perched on a bar stool.

“So,” she said, “How were the fireworks?”

“Fine. Rosie enjoyed them.”

“She’s a little cutie,” said Catherine a bit wistfully.

Dwayne knew that Catherine wanted grandchildren. He suspected that just about everyone in Honoré knew it. Certainly, Camille was tired of hearing it. Now, maybe Catherine would get her grandchildren. But this was not the time for nagging.

“Catherine, don’t push her. There’s still time.”

“What do you know?” Catherine was suddenly on alert.

“I don’t know a thing, not a thing. But I’ve seen how cranky she is after the two of you talk about it. Let her find her own way.”

“With Richard?”

“If he’s what she wants, you aren’t going to stop her.”

“What about him?”

“He’s harder to read. But Fidel and I have been watching them. We think the best thing is to say and do nothing. She was still at the beach when I left. So say a prayer to Erzulie and let it go at that.”

Dwayne finished his beer and headed off to find a party. He said two prayers to Erzulie that night. One asked for the Chief and Camille to be happy. The other asked for him to never fall in love. It was far too complicated!


	2. Post Perseids

On Sunday morning, Camille woke to find herself in Richard’s bed. She turned her head and saw that he was still sleeping. She closed her eyes, but couldn’t fall asleep again. Rather than toss and turn and disturb Richard’s sleep, she slipped out of bed. She spied his pajama top on the floor and put it on again. 

Last night, she’d found his pajamas folded under a pillow. He’d told her it was an old boarding school habit. She’d put on the top and dared him to put on the bottoms and go out to the beach that way. Lost in the haze that follows enthusiastic lovemaking, he’d agreed. 

They’d watched the meteor showers and snuggled on the beach blanket. When she’d commented on fireworks, he knew she didn’t mean the ones from Honoré. He’d been ready for more, and suggested they go back to the house. Camille smiled when she recalled his surprise at the way she’d pushed him onto his back and kept him on the beach instead. 

She picked up some of the discarded clothing from the floor. Last night, she had been determined to make something happen between them. She’d been unsure about how to go about it. So she figured she’d make it up as they went along. And when he’d offered a lesson on perigee, she knew he wanted her, too. 

But now, in daylight, would his inhibitions take over? She found the pajama bottoms and tossed them into the closet, denying him that avenue of retreat. They had all day to spend getting to know each other more intimately. And yes, that meant talking as much as lovemaking. They had decisions to make, the main one being whether to tell anyone. Given the way gossip ran through Honoré, telling _anyone_ would be the same as telling _everyone._

-o-o-o-o-

On Sunday morning, Richard woke to find himself alone in bed. One of the good news/bad news things about being a person who woke quickly and completely was being instantly aware of his surroundings. And his surroundings did not include Camille. Last night could NOT have been a dream—his dreams had been pretty explicit of late, but nowhere near as good as last night. And he could still smell her perfume. So last night had to be true!

Richard heard faint sounds from his kitchen. He sat up in bed, and realized he was naked. Ahh, another bit of evidence that last night had really happened. 

“Good morning,” Camille stood by the bed, holding out a cup of tea. She was wearing his pajama top. He blushed when he remembered her putting it on last night when they went out to the beach after making love. He looked around for the bottom half.

“It isn’t there,” she said with a cheeky smile. She handed him the tea and said, “I’m not sure I’m ready to let you out of bed yet.”

“And you think plying me with tea will keep me here?”

She grinned and unbuttoned one button as she sat on the bed. “I’ll think of something.”

Richard finished the tea, handed her the cup, and said, “Thank you.” Then he got out of bed and went into the bathroom.

“Hey!” she called. “You were supposed to stay here and show your gratitude for the tea.”

“Sorry, Camille, but you aren’t the only biological urge in my life, especially after you’ve been feeding me tea.”

While he was in the bathroom, Richard brushed his teeth and splashed some water on his face, but didn’t bother to shave. When he emerged, Camille was sitting on the bed, still wearing his pajama top. 

“I am never wearing that garment again,” he said.

“Why not?”

“It looks baggy and shapeless on me. On you it looks incredibly sexy.”

“Well, good. I don’t think you need to wear pajamas anyway. And since you aren’t wearing any at the moment, I shouldn’t either.” Camille slowly undid the rest of the buttons. 

Suddenly, it dawned on Richard that the day had, in fact, dawned. “Camille! It’s daytime!”

“Yes, it is.”

“But, but…” he gestured helplessly to the open veranda doors. 

“It’s Sunday morning. Nobody is going to come by. Unless the chickens come back. I shooed them out while you were still asleep. Which reminds me, I’ll make an omelet for breakfast when we’re done here.” She removed the pajama top and tucked it under the pillow. She lay back on the pillow and said, “If you want your pajamas back, you’ll have to come get them.”

Richard was never one to back down from a challenge.

-o-o-o-o-

Later, Richard said, “This is incredible. I’ve never done anything like this.”

“You don’t mean you _never_ …”

“No. I mean I’ve never had a marathon like this. In university it’s, you know, ‘Quick before my roommate gets back.’ And later on, it always was awkward after. Do you stay, do you leave? What do you say? Knowing it would be awkward made me reluctant to try, and the few times I did try to have some kind of relationship, it never worked out. You can be dumped only so many times before you give up.”

“Oh, Richard,” tears welled up in Camille’s eyes.

“I didn’t say that to make you feel sorry for me. It’s just how things are. Or used to be. Last night you said I was the guy who proved that men aren’t all alike. Well, you’re that woman. The one who sees beyond the awkwardness and reserve, the thinning hair, the English pallor. The one who really knows me. The one I can trust.”

“You can,” she said. She kissed him and added, “I promise.”

Richard gently pushed her away and said, “We need to talk.”

Camille pouted.

Richard said, “Seriously, Camille, in between um, you know, well, I mean there is a limit and we should use this time to talk.”

“Okay, even Superman needs a break sometimes.”

Richard was secretly pleased at the reference to Superman—or was that irony? In any case, he plowed on, “We need to decide what we do next. If we’re going to try to keep this a secret, at least for a while, we have to work at it. That means no more cute references to fireworks. Or the beach. Or astronomy.”

“Richard, are you ashamed?”

“No! But it’s all so new. I’d like us to have some time to get used to this. A little private time. Something that belongs only to us. Does that sound selfish?”

“No, it’s very sweet. But I think Dwayne is likely to figure it out. You see, yesterday I asked him to leave right after the fireworks. He tried to be subtle, but volunteering to go back to work? Dwayne? It was fairly obvious.” Seeing Richard’s worried look, she said, “What?”

“Yeah, he might know. Just before we came here for the evening, I asked him to go back into town to check up on things after the fireworks. So the excuse came from me. The overly casual delivery was his. 

“That’s why he wished me _bonne chance_ as he was leaving.”

They looked at each other and nodded. In perfect unison, they said, “He knows.”


	3. Flying Under the Radar

Richard felt guilty. He shouldn’t be grateful that someone had died. But he was. This morning had been difficult. When he arrived at the station, Fidel was already there. The young officer thanked him again for hosting everyone for the fireworks. Unfortunately, Camille arrived at that moment and had a sudden fit of laughing which she tried to cover by coughing. 

Richard went to the fridge to get her a bottle of water, which he set down on her desk with a stern look. If she didn’t pull herself together, he was going to collapse into a fit of hysterical laughter. 

Then Dwayne arrived. He looked at Fidel with raised eyebrows. Fidel shrugged almost imperceptibly. Richard looked at the two men as if to say “none of your business.” And Camille started to laugh/cough again. 

At that point, Richard knew they were in trouble. They’d been at work for ten minutes and were on the verge of giving themselves away. Then they were saved by a call saying that a body had been found in a warehouse at the edge of town.

Somehow, having a case shifted everything. The focused on the victim and the scene, just as they always did. He was “sir” and she was “detective.” Everyone was busy, and with Dwayne searching outside the building and Fidel taking photographs inside, nobody was gossiping about the two detectives. 

At the end of the day, Dwayne left early to messenger samples to the forensics lab on Guadeloupe. Fidel stood at the printer, waiting for it to dispense photos for the white board. Knowing Fidel couldn’t see them, Camille blew Richard a kiss. He frowned. She scribbled a note and dropped it on his desk as she walked over to Fidel to see if he needed help with the photos.

The note said _Send F. home and let’s sneak off to the cells._

Camille heard the sound of the crumpled-up note hitting the bin. She was about to turn around and make a face at Richard when she heard a familiar voice.

“Good afternoon, Team.”

The Commissioner asked for an update on the investigation. Fidel handed the photos to Richard, who put them on the white board as he summed up what they had so far. It wasn’t a lot, but it was only the first day. Satisfied, the Commissioner left. Fidel went home shortly after that.

“Don’t say it,” said Camille after Fidel left. “I shouldn’t have written the note. You’re right about us needing to behave. The Commissioner could have walked in on us doing something inappropriate. I won’t do it again, even though it’s killing me to sit there with you right in front of me. I want to leap over the desks and kiss you until you turn blue.”

“Now there’s a hell of a way to die.”

“Oh, I’d resuscitate you,” she said. “I’m a police officer. We’re trained for that stuff.”

-o-o-o-o-

In order to keep things as normal as possible, Richard went home and Camille went to La Kaz to see her mother. Unfortunately, it was early and the bar was almost empty. This gave Catherine plenty of time to interrogate her daughter. 

“Camille! It’s good to see you’re still on the island.”

“Where else would I be?”

“I don’t know. You didn’t come back here after the fireworks.”

“I had an early night.”

“And Sunday?”

“After the busy Saturday, what with the celebration and all, I thought I’d have a lazy day. I slept in, then went to the beach.” Well, it was sort of true…

Catherine was about to challenge this. She’d been to Camille’s house Sunday morning and her daughter had not been “sleeping in.” At least not there. But Dwayne’s warning came back to her. _Let her find her own way._ So she smiled and let it go. 

Camille had supper and left when the bar got busy. As she and Richard had arranged earlier, she put clothes for the next day in the Defender and drove out to the beach. Richard was waiting on the veranda. He greeted her with open arms and they stumbled into the house.

Later, Richard said, “So that’s two days, and if anyone knows, they’re not saying. How long do you think we can keep it up?”

Camille giggled, “I think you would know that better than I would.”

Richard groaned, “Bad word choice. How long can we maintain the deception?”

“I don’t know. I say let’s just wait until somebody says something. It’s very private out here. My neighbors are less likely to notice that I’m not home all night than they are to notice you walking out of my house at eight AM. And the Defender being parked here isn’t odd. You do sometimes take it home.”

“True. But you have to promise to be good at work.”

“I will.” Her smiled widened. “But I’ll have to balance that by being very wicked when I’m here.”

-o-o-o-o-

The pattern continued. They were professional at work, and Camille managed to avoid any probing conversations with her mother. The case was solved in a few days, which meant it was time for the team to go to La Kaz to celebrate. 

Richard ordered his usual tea, and the others had beer. When Catherine set down the tea tray, Richard thought she looked at him more closely than usual. Or maybe he was just paranoid. He looked toward the bar. Oh, God, she was looking at him again. 

“Something wrong, Chief?” Fidel asked. “You look worried.”

“No, mentally going over the details in case there’s something we missed.”

“No way, Chief,” said Dwayne. “You never forget a detail.”

“So true,” said Camille. “You are a stickler for details, Richard. And we’re a good team. To us!”

She raised her bottle toward the middle of the table, not just to Richard. He raised his cup and Dwayne and Fidel raised their bottles. They were laughing and clinking when the Commissioner arrived at their table.

“Indeed, you are a good team. Well done, solving the case so quickly. I thought I’d stop by and tell you the good news. The prosecutor talked to the suspect for about five minutes, and the man decided to plead guilty. So no trial. Saves a lot of time and money for the prosecutor’s office. All wrapped up nicely. Congratulations.”

The Commissioner walked to the bar to chat with Catherine. The team talked for a while, and Camille said she was leaving, and suggested a swim since it was so hot. Nobody took her up on the suggestion, so she said she’d go home. Richard got up to leave a few minutes later, followed by the Commissioner. 

Catherine immediately sat down with Dwayne and Fidel. She handed each of them a beer and asked, “So what do you think?”

“Think?” asked Fidel, doing a pathetic job of playing dumb.

“About Camille and Richard! You know that’s what I meant. You spend all day with them. What do you think is going on?”

“I don’t know what, but it seems like something has changed,” said Fidel. “They were kind of odd Monday morning, like something was different between them. Then we got a case, and they’ve been all business since then.”

“There’s definitely something,” said Dwayne. “I didn’t tell you, Catherine, but on Saturday, Camille asked me to leave the Chief’s house right after the fireworks because she wanted to be alone with him.”

“I’m not surprised. When we talked on Saturday she made it clear that she wants him. But I’m not so sure about what he wants.”

“Oh, he wants her, too,” said Dwayne. “Here’s the second part of Saturday’s story. Just before we left for the Chief’s house, he asked me to come back to town for the close of the celebrations. I wasn’t really needed here, but he wanted me out of the way.”

“You know the Chief,” said Fidel. “He wouldn’t do anything unless he’d thought about it. He knows the risks of getting involved with someone at work. He’s serious about this.”

“I agree. Are you going to be okay with this, Catherine?” asked Dwayne.

“I don’t think I’ve got a choice. I just hope he doesn’t go back to London and break her heart. Or take her with him and break mine.”

“I bet he’s thought about that, too,” said Fidel. “He thinks through everything. He wouldn’t start something with her if he hadn’t. I think he’s here to stay. After we went to hear Ross play, Juliet told me she noticed how they looked at each other when they thought nobody would see. She says they’re in love. They’re just being more careful around us, so we haven’t seen it.”

“Look at it this way, Catherine,” said Dwayne. “You may just get those grandchildren you’ve been asking for.”


	4. A Blip on the Radar

Richard left La Kaz and headed back toward the station. He was a few steps down the street when a voice called from behind.

“A word, Insepctor?”

He stopped and turned around. “Of course, sir.”

“I’m hearing some rumors.”

“Oh?” Richard tried to sound casual.

“Yes. Catherine couldn’t substantiate anything, so I thought I’d ask you.”

Richard willed himself to be calm. He didn’t want to lie to his superior, something he had never done in his entire career.

“Perhaps _rumor_ isn’t quite the word I’m looking for. Comments. Yes, comments would describe it better.”

“What sort of comments?”

“I’ve been hearing that you’re spending more time with your team, socializing. You even went to the Solstice Festival and bought food from the stalls.”

“Um, yes. I’m trying to, you know, be part of the team.” He thought back to London and Doug Anderson. Richard had never felt part of the team back them. 

“Good. Glad to hear you’re fitting in better. Getting to appreciate us more.”

“Us?”

“Saint Marie, the people, the lifestyle.”

“Yes, I suppose I am.”

“I hope that means you’re thinking seriously of staying here long-term. I’m aware, Inspector, that you take rules very seriously.” The Commissioner paused for Richard to respond.

_Oh, God, here it comes._ Richard tried to think of a way to defend his relationship with Camille and why they’d kept it secret. He was surprised at what came next.

“Here on Saint Marie, we take the law very seriously, as you well know. But there are some rules that we don’t care about. And some things that you might think are rules aren’t. For example, there is no rule that says I must wear my uniform every day. There are official situations in which I must wear it. But I choose to wear it other times because I’m proud of my job.”

Richard had absolutely no idea where this conversation was going. The Commissioner didn’t seem to need a reply, so Richard stayed mute.

“Similarly, there is no rule that says you must wear a suit and tie every day. I appreciate that it was expected in London, but we’re more relaxed here. Your reputation is well established, Inspector. You’ve risen to your rank because of your ability. You don’t need a suit to prove anything. You can loosen up, as they say, and the people here would still respect you. Camille dresses very casually, and she is respected. Dwayne flirts with every woman that passes by, and still he is respected for his work as a police officer. Fidel, hmm, he is entirely respectable, so I can’t draw a parallel there. My point is, here on Saint Marie, we value people for who they are and the good work they do. You could probably do just about anything short of breaking the law, and nobody would think less of you.”

“Thank you, sir.” Richard wasn’t sure thanks were appropriate, but he needed to say _something,_ and if he didn’t say “Thank you,” the only other comment that came to mind was “What the hell are you talking about?” and that definitely was not appropriate.

“So if you’re worried about any of the rules, don’t.” He paused for dramatic effect and added, “Say goodnight to Camille for me.” And he walked away.

Richard stood there for a full minute, trying to digest the conversation. 

-o-o-o-o-

Camille was waiting on the veranda when Richard got home.

“You’re late. Did something happen? Oh, no, did Maman corner you?”

“No, not your mother. The Commissioner followed me out and stopped me in the street.”

“That can’t have been bad. He was pleased with the quick solution to the case.”

“It wasn’t bad. It was… I don’t know what it was. When he’s unhappy with us, he is very straightforward. I’ve been on the receiving end of that. But when he’s making little suggestions, he wraps them up in a story. And we both know how bad I am at metaphors.”

“What was the story?”

“He rambled. He said he’s heard that I’ve been socializing with the team. He did say _the team,_ not specifically you. If he’s referring to the night we all went out to hear that band, it honestly was the team. If he’s referring to the two of us going to the solstice festival, it isn’t the team, it’s you.”

“But that looked innocent. It _was_ innocent. And if we were seen on the beach looking at the supermoon, we didn’t do anything but watch the moon. Maybe he heard one comment, and now he’s fishing.”

“He spent time talking to your mother, too. And she’s probably suspicious.”

“You sound paranoid, Richard.”

“You know what they say, just because you’re paranoid it doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.”

Camille laughed, “In our situation, I suppose a little paranoia isn’t a bad thing. Did he say anything else?”

“He nattered on about suits and uniforms and how I don’t need to wear a suit all the time and it would be okay if I ‘loosened up,’ to use his phrase.”

“I’ve said that.”

“Yes, but I think that was the metaphor. He said some things we think are rules aren’t, and even if they are, I could get away with breaking rules. I think the rule he was alluding to was you, not suits. And he said that it seemed I was appreciating Saint Marie more, and that might have meant you, not the island. And he said that perhaps my appreciation meant I was thinking about staying long term.”

Camille had to think carefully about her response. She very much wanted Richard to choose to stay on Saint Marie. They hadn’t talked about the future beyond whom to tell and when. So she focused on the Commissioner’s plans, not Richard’s.

“We both know that’s what he wants. He tricked you into staying when you could have gone—” she almost said _home,_ but finished the sentence, “um, back to London.”

Richard avoided the Saint Marie vs. London issue by saying, “He’s a crafty bugger, that’s certain. But let’s not think about him. I’m hungry, whose turn is it to cook?”

It was Camille’s turn to cook. She declined Richard’s offer of help, so he sat on the steps and watched her work. He noticed that the knife she used to slice vegetables was new. A number of small items had made their way into his house in the past few days. He wasn’t sure if they’d migrated from her kitchen or if she’d done a bit of shopping. Either way, he liked the idea that she was settling in with him. 

“This is nice,” he said.

“Watching me do the work while you sit and do nothing?”

“I did offer to help.”

“I know.”

“And I’ll do the washing up while you sit and do nothing. But what I meant is that it’s nice being here together. Like this, you know, domestic.”

Camille trotted up the few steps and gave Richard a quick kiss. “I know what you mean. It’s a little like playing house.”

She went back to cooking, and Richard sat quietly. In a way they were playing house. His beach shack wasn’t much bigger than a Wendy house. He could imagine them with childish voices. _Let’s play house. You be the daddy and I’ll be the mommy. It’s time for supper, so you set the table…_

“Richard?” Camille’s voice interrupted his daydream.

“Sorry, what?”

“Did you hear me? I asked you to set the table. Supper is almost ready.”

Richard took the bundle of napkins and utensils from her outstretched hand. Camille followed him out to the veranda. 

Richard tasted the meal and smiled. “This is delicious. You are far and away the better cook. And I know you’ve adjusted the seasoning for my taste, so thank you for that.”

“I was taught by a professional, you know. And before you start, no comments about Maman’s cooking!”

“I wasn’t going to say anything. She is a good cook. I like many of the things she makes. It’s just, you know, the, um—”

“We agreed not to talk about that.”

-o-o-o-o-

Friday evening, over a supper that Richard had cooked, Camille reminded him that she had plans with her mother for Saturday morning. 

“It’s just a bit of mother-daughter shopping time over in Victoire. We normally spend a lot of time together, and if I said no, it would be suspicious. I’ll do my best to deflect direct questions.”

“Yes, I remember. Since you’ll be out, I thought I’d take the ferry over to Guadeloupe to do some shopping of my own. I could use a new suit, and I might as well get something more appropriate for the climate. I haven’t seen a good men’s store except for the expensive bespoke tailors, so I thought I’d try Guadeloupe. I might even splash out on some casual trousers for weekends.”

“Or shorts?”

“I think not. Let’s take this in small steps, all right?”

Camille smiled at his reference to small steps. They’d taken a few big ones in the past week, so he was entitled to a few small steps. Although, if she thought about it, a tropical-weight suit was something of a commitment to staying on Saint Marie. 

Later, when they were in bed, Camille yawned and said, “I’m so tired. You’ve worn me out, Richard. I hope I’ve recovered by tomorrow night.”

“What’s tomorrow night? Did we have special plans?”

“It’s our one-week anniversary.”

“Oh.” 

Camille bit her lip. Did mentioning a one-week anniversary make their relationship sound like more than it was? Would he feel she was pushing?

Richard sighed and said, “Was I supposed to notice that? I’m not good at this whole dating business. Is that an anniversary that gets a present?”

“No. It’s only a small milestone. Too sentimental?”

“Not at all,” Richard kissed her. “But it makes me think. Don’t couples usually do anniversaries of their first date? If we’re being accurate, we haven’t been on a date.”

“The Solstice Festival?” Camille suggested.

“No. I suppose in retrospect, it seems like one, but at the time I didn’t think of it as a date. I mean a real date, where I ask you out and we go somewhere.”

“That’s difficult to do if we’re keeping us a secret.”

“I know, but it bothers me a little. I mean, shouldn’t I have taken you on a few dates before taking you to bed?”

“It’s a little late to be thinking about that, Richard, so don’t worry about it. I don’t feel that I’ve been treated badly. I’m very happy with the way things have turned out.”

“So am I. It’s been the best week of my life. I have an idea. Can you catch the afternoon ferry? We could—wait a minute.” Richard reached for his phone and tapped his way through a few menus. 

Camille’s phone rang. She looked at him oddly, and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Camille. It’s Richard. I was wondering if you’re free for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Oh, let me check my calendar.” She tapped her way through her calendar, made a great show of wasting time to extend the suspense, then returned to the phone function. “It turns out that I am free.”

“That’s nice. I thought we might have dinner on Guadeloupe. I’ll be over there tomorrow, so if you catch the afternoon ferry, I could meet you and take you to dinner.”

“All right, but you have to make sure we’re on time for the late ferry home.”

“Certainly. I’ll be careful about that.”

“Good, because I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong idea. I’m not the sort of girl who stays out all night on a first date.”

“Of course you aren’t. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow. Goodnight, Richard.”

“Goodnight, Camille.”

They ended the call and Camille laughed. 

“Do you feel more respectable now?” she asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“Too respectable to have sex with a woman you haven’t even taken on one date?”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong idea.” Richard parodied her earlier comment. “What sort of man do you think I am? Do you think I’d take advantage of a woman just because she’s naked and in my bed?”

“I certainly hope so!”


	5. Time Apart

Camille left the beach house very early so that there would be no chance of her mother being at her house first. Inside, she messed up the bed, started the coffeemaker, and took a shower. She had planned well, because Catherine arrived as she was toweling her hair.

“Good morning, Camille!” Catherine called.

“In here, Maman,” Camille replied from the bedroom. “There’s coffee.”

Wearing a short robe and with the towel still around her neck, Camille walked into the kitchen, where Catherine sipped a mug of coffee. Camille was relieved that her mother took her coffee black, so there’d have been no need for her to look in the fridge. It was uncharacteristically empty, since Camille hadn’t eaten dinner or breakfast at home for nearly a week. 

“Good morning, Maman. I’ll be dressed in a minute.”

“No hurry, Ma Chère.” Catherine sat down at the little kitchen table. “Have some coffee before we go.”

Camille tried not to look worried. Coffee at the kitchen table meant _have a talk._

“The Commissioner and I had a nice chat the other evening,” said Catherine.

“Oh? He was quite pleased with our results on that case. It was kind of him to come to La Kaz to congratulate us.” Camille tried to steer the topic toward what she hoped would be a safe direction.

Catherine had her own direction in mind. “Yes, he said you work well together, but lately you’ve been better than ever.”

“That’s because we’ve worked together for so long.”

“Mm hmm, I suppose. But sometimes when there’s a sort of tension or stress between members of a group, relieving it can improve the working relationship.”

Camille worked hard to keep a neutral expression on her face, thinking of all the tension she and Richard had relieved lately. 

“Don’t you think so?” Catherine pressed a bit.

“Well, Richard has been making an effort to be less annoying, so the team is benefitting from that.”

“Mm hmm, that could be it. The Commissioner thinks Richard is making an effort to settle in, looking to stay here, perhaps.”

“The Commissioner wants Richard to stay here, so he might be seeing what he wants to see. I’ll get dressed and we can go.” Camille escaped to her bedroom. This was going to be a long morning.

-o-o-o-o-

As Richard dressed, he thought about how quiet the house was without Camille there. He had always been very tidy and organized, knowing what he would wear the next day before he went to bed at night. Despite having only one outfit, the one for the next day, Camille was constantly missing something. Mornings were punctuated with “Have you seen my other shoe?” and “Where are my earrings?” Some hair clip or container of makeup always seemed to have fallen behind something. His house was not designed for Hurricane Bordey.

But he wanted her there. The quiet that he used to cherish was now oppressive. If they were going to make the leap from one-day’s-clothing-at-a-time to truly living together, they would have to decide on a place. He loved the privacy at the beach, the rustle of the palm trees, the sound of the waves. Her house was the better house for practical reasons. But it had neighbors close by, and neighbors gossiped. It would be easier if they had more time to settle in without being observed so closely. 

Well, he thought as he walked to the ferry, it was a decision they’d have to make together. 

-o-o-o-o-

The drive to Victoire was easier than Camille had expected. She turned up the radio, which stopped her mother from asking more questions.

In Victoire, the first stop was a shoe store, where Catherine bought a new pair of espadrilles. Being on her feet so much of the time, she needed comfortable shoes, but refused to wear anything that looked like a comfortable shoe. The shoes from this store were expensive, but they were pretty and comfortable at the same time. 

Camille tried on a few pairs of sandals, but didn’t buy any, saying she needed to go through her closet and assess what she already had. She didn’t want to admit it, even to herself, but she was thinking ahead to the inevitable collision between her collection of shoes and Richard’s small closet. But she shouldn’t think like that. He was likely to take a long time before asking her to move in. 

“Camille? Did you hear me?”

“Sorry, Maman, I got distracted, um, doing a mental inventory of my shoes. What did you say?”

“I suggested we see if Marta can fit you in. You could do with a trim.”

“No, it’s fine. I like it a big longer. ” Camille couldn’t tell her mother that she didn’t want to trim her hair because Richard had said he liked it long and loose. Apparently, there was something sexy about long hair pinned up and then released from its pins.

They walked past several stores, stopping to admire a scarf here or a blouse there. Camille started to pause at a men’s shop to look at the linen shirts in the window, but caught herself in time—she hoped.

Catherine stopped in front of a lingerie shop. “That’s pretty,” she said, pointing to a silk nightgown. “Very sexy. That bias cut skims the body beautifully.”

“Silk is too hot. Only people with air conditioning sleep in silk.” Camille shrugged as if a discussion of sexy nightwear was totally unimportant.

“It would look good on you.”

_For two minutes at the most, and then it would be on the floor,_ Camille thought. She quickly wiped the smile from her face and said, “I wouldn’t wear it. I don’t wear anything to sleep, you know that.”

Catherine had been watching Camille during this exchange. She sounded far too disinterested in sex. A sure sign she was hiding something to do with sex. 

-o-o-o-o-

Richard found a seat on the lower level of the ferry, knowing that the top level would be crowded with noisy families on a Saturday. He knew better than to try the tea, so he settled for a bottle of water. As the ferry pulled out, he got a good look at Honoré. It was a pretty town, with the red roofs and the green hillside behind the town. He could just make out his bungalow, tucked under the palm trees. He smiled as he thought back to Camille’s comment about playing house. 

And a one-week anniversary? He supposed he should look for some sort of little gift. She had said no gift was required, but wasn’t that what women always said when they expected something? For a moment, he felt like it was all happening too quickly. But if he was honest with himself, somewhere deep inside, it had been coming on for longer than just these few months. Perhaps the Solstice Festival really was their first date. If so, they were past a one-week anniversary. Or was he supposed to track all anniversaries? Like first date, first kiss, first sex… A man could go crazy trying to track all of that. 

He took out his newspaper to distract himself from the growing confusion in his mind.

-o-o-o-o-

Although her work wardrobe was casual and functional—mostly jeans, shorts, little tops, trainers—Camille liked to wear what she called “a girly dress” once in a while. So she and Catherine browsed through a shop that stocked pretty sundresses. Camille looked at a white dress for a second, flicked right by yellow, then stopped at a cream-colored one. 

“That’s pretty,” said Catherine

“A bit too fancy with the flounced hem, don’t you think? And it’s longer than I usually wear.”

“What about this turquoise one, that’s nice.”

Camille smiled. She had a date tonight. A perfect night for a new dress. “It is, isn’t it? I’ll try it on.”

As Camille was paying for the dress, Catherine said rather too casually, “Do you have an occasion to wear it?”

“Hmm? No, I just like it.”

“Do you need jewelry or shoes to go with it?”

Catherine was evaluating the specialness of the occasion Camille supposedly didn’t have. And Camille knew it. 

“No, Maman. I’m sure I have earrings that will match, and I have plenty of bracelets.” She smiled wickedly and stuck out her trainer-clad foot, “And I can wear these if I don’t have something better in my closet.”

Catherine suggested they have lunch in a café about a block away. It wasn’t one of their usual choices, but Camille understood her mother’s reasoning when Catherine stopped to look into the window of a bridal shop.

“Oh, Camille! Isn’t that one beautiful! You’d look like a princess in it!”

“Maman,” said Camille in a voice that clearly said _don’t start that again._

“Well, it’s nice to look. All girls like to think about being a bride. Don’t you remember when you and Aimee used to play brides with your First Communion veils?”

“That was a long time ago, Maman.”

“I still have that veil packed away somewhere.”

“And I suggest you keep it packed away. Let’s go have lunch and talk about something else.”

Once again, Catherine heard Dwayne’s advice. _Let her find her own way._ So instead of coming right out and asking Camille how long she’d been sleeping with Richard and when were they going to do something about it, she followed her daughter down the street to the café.

-o-o-o-o-

Richard folded back the newspaper and started to read. The local paper picked up a lot of content from the AP, including “fluff” pieces like lost dogs being reunited with their families and famous celebrities suing other famous celebrities. But Richard didn’t read “Page Four” for that. On Saturdays, this page had his favorite column, the astronomy column.

The article started with commentary on how good this year’s Perseids had been. _You have NO idea,_ Richard thought. Then the article went on to discuss the “Blue Moon” that would happen soon. Although there were two different definitions for a Blue Moon, the writer asserted that this one was the real deal, and the other was somebody’s mistake. Richard was inclined to agree. This one would be the real deal. 

-o-o-o-o- 

Camille barely escaped from her mother with time to shower and change before running to the ferry. Fortunately, she knew exactly which accessories she wanted to wear, so she grabbed the purse, transferred essentials from her everyday bag, and tossed jewelry and a scarf into the purse. She walked quickly down the hill, and was near the dock when the ferry sounded its “leaving soon” warning horn. She bolted for the ferry and just made it in time. 

She chose a seat on the upper deck in the fresh air. After she caught her breath, she dug out the scarf and used it to tie back her hair. Earrings and bracelet were next, and then she checked her makeup. When she felt “assembled,” she leaned back in her seat and let the sea air wash over her. 

-o-o-o-o- 

Catherine stood in the shade in front of La Kaz, enjoying the breeze. She heard the ferry blow its warning horn and looked toward the dock. She couldn’t see the ferry, but she did catch a glimpse of someone in turquoise running toward the dock. Now, why was Camille going to Guadeloupe? A romantic getaway? Catherine tapped her foot impatiently. If Camille didn’t tell her what was going on soon, she’d bring up the subject directly. 


	6. Time Together

Richard used his police ID to get into the Harbormaster’s office. Fortunately, there was a new man on duty, so Richard was able to avoid questions about the prisoner who was murdered in his custody. 

“I need to ask a favor. Will someone be in the office later tonight?”

“Not me, but someone will be here until the last ferry arrives. And there’s always someone you can contact using the emergency number.”

“If I could, I’d like to leave something here to pick up before the last ferry.”

“No problem. We hold evidence packages all the time. They stay locked in my office until they’re called for.”

“This isn’t evidence. It’s just my shopping. I’m meeting someone for dinner and I’d rather not drag this along.” Richard held up a shopping bag.

“We’ll call that evidence of a commercial nature and hold it for you.” The harbormaster handed Richard a card and said, “Call about a half hour before the ferry leaves to make sure someone is here to hand over the evidence.”

From the window, Richard could see that the ferry had arrived. He thanked the man and left the office. Crowds were steaming into the ferry building, making it difficult for Richard to walk out to the dock. He was surprised to find that he was a bit nervous. Too late to retrieve the bag and change now. He just hoped Camille would be pleased, rather than amused.

-o-o-o-o-

Camille felt increasingly nervous as the ferry approached Guadeloupe. It was ridiculous, she kept telling herself. It wasn’t a blind date. It was Richard, for goodness sake! And considering the past week, she knew how the date would end. It wasn’t as if he had really called her up out of the blue and asked her on a date. She smiled as she remembered his phone call. If he had asked her out like that, back before the Solstice and everything that followed, would she have said yes? Of course she would. She wasn’t sure how long she had been in love with him, but the initial loathing had given way to liking after their second murder.

She scanned the dock for a dark suit, but didn’t spot him. It was pretty hot out in the sun like that. He was probably waiting inside the ferry building. The ferry docked, and she walked toward the gangway. She took her time getting off the ferry rather than racing ahead with the crowd. Anyway, if she were among the last, it would build anticipation. No it wouldn’t, she thought as she picked up her pace. Knowing Richard, he’d be standing around worrying that she’d missed the ferry.

Richard spotted Camille before she saw him. She had dressed up for the occasion, so he was glad he had chosen a nice restaurant. She was still looking around, and he enjoyed watching her, admiring her grace as she walked, her figure as she stood still. How did he ever get so lucky? 

“Camille!” he called. She turned and walked toward his voice, then stopped in her tracks.

“Richard? Ohmygod! Look at you!” She ran to him and kissed him. Then she pushed back to get another look. “No wonder I didn’t spot you. I was looking for a dark suit.”

“I thought I’d surprise you.”

Camille looked Richard up and down. He wore tan linen trousers. Definitely a step in the right direction, even if he was wearing them with a white dress shirt. Although, now that she thought about it, it was a good look for him. A little bit island, a little bit Richard. At least he had the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms and he wasn’t wearing a tie.

“Camille?” he asked nervously.

“Shh, let me admire you a while more. Yes, I am surprised. And delighted! I like it.”

“You’re sure? It doesn’t look like I’m trying too hard?”

“No! I like it, I really do.”

“That’s good. I, uh, well, that is, it’s sort of your present.” When Camille looked at him quizzically, Richard continued. “For our one-week anniversary. I wanted to do something to please you, to show you how you’ve changed me.”

“That is so sweet!” Camille kissed him. “But I didn’t get you a present. Didn’t I say this was not a present-required anniversary?”

“ _You_ are my present.” _And my future._ Richard smiled at his little mental pun and said, “Enough about me. You look fantastic! New dress?”

“Yes, I have a date tonight and I wanted to impress him.”

“He’ll be impressed, I’m sure. Not another of those blind dates, I hope?” Richard asked as they strolled out of the ferry building.

“No. Eyes wide open and exactly what I want.”

Richard squeezed her hand and said, “Good.”

It was too early for dinner, so they strolled through a park and sat on a bench in the shade. Camille taught Richard the names of the flowers he didn’t recognize. They window-shopped their way back to the harbor. Richard tried to pay attention to things Camille looked at, hoping to get ideas for future presents, but she didn’t express a desire for anything for herself. She pointed out a few shirts Richard might like. As they passed a display of beachwear, Richard asked Camille about pareos. 

“Do you ever wear one of those wrap things I saw women at the spa wearing over bathing suits?” 

“A pareo? I’ve got lots of them. They’re pretty, and I should wear them more often. But usually I just put a pair of shorts on over my suit. You should think about a bathing suit. You live at the beach, it’s such a waste not to enjoy the ocean.”

“I do enjoy it. I look at it; I listen to the sounds of the surf.”

“Richard,” Camille said in a growly French accent that Richard knew meant he was getting into trouble.

“I’ll think about it,” he replied.

-o-o-o-o-

Richard had chosen a waterfront restaurant on the advice of some of the sales clerks he’d spoken to that day. He’d checked the menu to make sure there were choices they’d both like and then made a reservation. They arrived a bit early and were shown to an outdoor table overlooking the water.

“You know,” Richard said, “This is one of the things I’ve come to enjoy about living in the Caribbean.”

“What, seafood?”

“Eating outdoors. I find it relaxing. Pubs in England usually have tables outside, but they’re mostly used by smokers now that you can’t smoke inside. It’s such a short season for eating outdoors there, and here I can do it any time. And I hate to admit it, but it’s more comfortable dressed like this.”

“You look more comfortable. Relaxed.”

“It’s partly because we’re here and not in Honoré where we have to be, you know, careful. But the clothes help.”

“Speaking of clothes, you don’t have any shopping bags. Is that all you bought?” Camille asked.

“No. I did buy a suit. It’s being altered, so I’ll have to return to pick that up next week. A few other things, plus my old suit is in the bag. The harbormaster is holding my shopping so I didn’t have to take all that stuff to dinner with us.”

“How clever of you to think of that.”

“He’s doing it as a courtesy to me as chief of police. You know, the way they hold evidence sometimes for pickup. How was your shopping trip?”

“Good. I got this dress. Maman got the shoes she was looking for but _not_ the information she was looking for.”

“What did she ask?”

“Oh, she didn’t _ask_ anything. She pointed to things in windows.”

“Like what?”

“Sexy silk lingerie, something I would not normally wear, but might wear for a lover.” She paused for Richard to comment.

“Silk sounds expensive for something you won’t wear. I have it on good authority that you sleep naked.”

Camille laughed.

“What else did she point to?”

“Jewelry, pretty shoes, things for a special occasion with a special person.” Camille did not mention the bridal shop. If she’d felt pressured by that, she hated to think how it would make Richard feel.

Their meals were served, and the conversation drifted to other, safer topics.

Later, on the ferry, Richard returned to the subject of Catherine’s suspicions.

“Do you think she knows?” he asked.

“She knows how I feel. I made it pretty clear the morning of the George celebration that you’re what I want and she should stop trying to interfere with my life. But she doesn’t know if I—or we—have done anything about it.”

“We’re almost certain that Dwayne knows. The Commissioner is suspicious, and now your mother is asking leading questions. Fidel?”

“If Dwayne knows, or thinks he knows, he’ll have talked to Fidel about it. We can’t keep this a secret for long.”

“I know. We’ll have to work out a way to tell everyone without making them angry that we kept it a secret. Let’s think about it a few days, okay?”

“Okay,” Camille sighed and snuggled into Richard’s shoulder. If he was willing to tell people, he had to be sure. Richard did nothing without thinking it through.

-o-o-o-o-

Sunday morning, after a late breakfast, Camille asked to see Richard’s purchases. He had hung up his suit the night before, but left everything else in the bag.

He held up another pair of linen trousers, a lighter shade than the ones he’d worn the night before. She approved. He dug out a packet of tea he’d found in a specialty store. Next came a box that he handed to Camille.

“Ooh, Madeleines! And they’re chocolate! Thank you! Is that all?”

“Uh, no. One more thing,” he said resignedly, pulling a pair of blue swim trunks out of the bag. “You keep asking me to swim with you, so I thought I’d give it a try. I am a little worried, though. Not long after I got here, I decided to wade. I rolled up my trouser legs and took off my socks and shoes. I walked across the sand and into the water. Two steps later, I stepped on something that hurt.”

“We’ll have to get you some reefwalkers.”

“What are they?”

“Shoes you can wear in the water. Unlike flipflops, they stay on. You can get them in any of the shops that sell beach stuff. We can get you a life ring, too, if you need it.”

“No thank you. I can swim.”

“But you didn’t jump in after me that day on the boat.”

“I was wearing a good suit. I didn’t want to get all wet. Lily and Dwayne hit the water in pursuit of you. We didn’t need to have all three of us in the water. I remembered that we had a boat. To paraphrase what that nasty little DS said, “That’s why I’m the DI and they’re not.”


	7. Full Moon

On Monday morning, Richard was the last to arrive at the station. Everyone else was busy starting up their computers and deciding which bit of paperwork to start first.

“Good Morning Sir,” said Fidel.

“Good morning,” Richard replied.

“Mornin’ Chief,” Dwaybe drawled. “Say, Chief, I heard something strange on the radio. Says there’s going to be a blue moon tomorrow. Now, don’t tell me the moon is going to turn blue.”

“No. A blue moon is the third moon in a season that will have four full moons. Because there was a full moon the day after solstice, there will be 4 full moons this summer, making the next full moon a blue moon. There is another definition, which some say came about from a misunderstanding of the proper definition. That one says the second full moon in a calendar month is a blue moon. But the next full moon is a proper full moon.”

Camille, much as she loved Richard, started to glaze over. Fidel was busy doing an internet search about blue moons. Dwayne just looked confused.

“So the moon isn’t going to turn blue?”

“No, of course not. It’s just a rare occurrence.”

“Ah, like the expression ‘once in a blue moon’?”

“Right. But not actually changing color.”

“And that’s another thing in astronomy that isn’t what it says,” Camille complained. “Shooting stars aren’t stars, the Evening Star isn’t a star, oh, I forget the others. But I’m starting to think astronomy is as much bunk as astrology is.”

“Astronomy is science, Camille. It most certainly is not bunk!”

“The blue moon is true,” said Fidel, “I just checked and it happens tomorrow night at 8:45 our time.”

Well, if it isn’t going to turn blue, I won’t be bothered about it,” said Dwayne. 

A call came in about a fruit vendor, a chicken, and a car. Richard thought it sound like one of those jokes about an odd group of people walking into a bar. Dwayne and Fidel went to take care of the situation, which left Richard and Camille alone at the station. 

Camille perched on Richard’s desk and said, “So, are we going to watch the moon not turn blue?”

“Good idea.”

“And are you going to invite the whole team?”

“I don’t think so. It’s more intellectually exciting than visually exciting.” Seeing her eyebrows go up, Richard hastily added, “Not that I think anyone’s intellect is beneath this. But it will look like most other full moons. Anyway, there’s only room on your beach blanket for the two of us.”

“So are you asking me on a date?”

“Actually, I thought you just asked me.”

-o-o-o-o-

On Tuesday evening, Camille and Richard snuggled on the beach blanket, looking up at the moon. 

“Goodness, it’s been quite a summer for astronomy,” said Camille. “The Solstice Festival, the Supermoon, the meteor showers. And now a blue moon. Although I still say it’s silly to make this the blue moon. It should be the fourth one. The fourth one is the rare one.”

“Mmm hmm.”

“Richard! Were you even listening?”

“Um, sorry. I—”

“You’ve been distracted since we came out here. Is something bothering you?”

“No, I’ve just been, um, well, I bought you something. To commemorate the blue moon.” Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it and took out a ring.

Camille’s eyes widened.

“It’s a moonstone. I was, um, in a jewelry shop when I went over to Guadeloupe the other day, and I saw this. I thought a blue moonstone for the night of the blue moon.”

“It’s beautiful. It looks antique.”

“Yes, art nouveau. It actually is from France.”

“French? And you bought it anyway!”

“Anything for you.” He took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her left ring finger. 

“Richard? Is this…?”

“I, um, was looking for something else but I had no idea what to buy. And then I saw this. It’s only silver, but for now, I mean, until I can buy you a proper ring… damn, I’m making a hash of this. Just let me unscramble my brain.” 

Camille smiled. She thought back to that day on the beach when Richard had talked haltingly about someone being important and special. In his own stumbling way, he was terribly sweet. He fidgeted with the box while he gathered his thoughts. She took it from his hands and wrapped her hands around his. 

“It’s okay, we have all night.”

He took a deep breath and continued. “It may take me that long. What I meant to say is, tonight is a blue moon, a rare event. We say ‘once in a blue moon’ to indicate something that won’t happen again soon. And so I thought it was the right night for something I’ve never done and, if I get the answer I want, will never do again. Will you marry me?”

“Ohhhhh,” Camille sighed. “Yes.”

She started to say something more, but it got lost in a kiss.

-o-o-o-o-

“Camille? Are you awake?”

“Hmm? Yes.” 

“I’ve been thinking about this anniversary business.”

“What do you mean?”

“How many anniversaries am I expected to remember? First date? First kiss? First sex? Getting engaged? I can’t remember all of that.”

“Once we’re married, that’s the only date you’ll have to remember. The others should be fairly easy, though. They’re all tied to astronomical events. Still, I’ll settle for you remembering our wedding anniversary.”

“I have an idea for that. And I also think we should tell people that our first date was the Solstice Festival. That way there’ll be a few months between dating and getting married.”

“What date do you have in mind for the wedding?”

“It’s an obvious choice, really. Unless you want a huge wedding that takes ages to plan, I’d like to get married next month.”

“No, I don’t want a huge wedding. I’ve already got a dress picked out. I didn’t think of it that way when I saw it, but it’s just right. Not really a wedding gown, but,” she broke off and giggled.

“What’s funny about the dress?”

“Nothing. It’s a very nice dress. I just remembered that one of the shops Maman pointed out in Victoire last Saturday was a bridal shop. I didn’t mention it to you because I didn’t want to seem to be dropping hints. I didn’t want to scare you off.”

“Not a chance.” Richard kissed her and said, “And I think we should announce our engagement soon. You know, before you come to your senses and change your mind.”

Camille laughed, “Not a chance!”


	8. The Grapevine

On Saturday, Camille drove Richard to the ferry so that he could pick up his suit. He leaned over and kissed her goodbye. If anyone was looking, then let the rumor mill start churning. 

Camille pulled up in front of La Kaz. Catherine was on the phone.

“No, Marguerite, I swear, I don’t know. Well, we all suspected, but—oh, she’s here now. I’ll call you later.”

“Good morning, Maman. What was that about?”

“You know Marguerite, right?” Seeing Camille nod, she continued. “Well, she just said she saw you drop off Richard at the ferry and he kissed you.”

“Yes, he did. Mon Dieu! It was just two minutes ago. Your grapevine is unbelieveable!”

“But Richard? Kissing you in public? That’s how I had to find out?”

“Oh, Maman. We wanted to keep it quiet for a little while. Don’t be angry. I was on my way here to tell you we would be coming here for dinner tonight when Richard gets back. And we want to announce it tonight. But please! Please don’t tell anyone. Especially not Marguerite. You know what a gossip she is. Please let us do this our own way?” Camille grasped her mother’s hands as she spoke. Catherine gasped.

“What’s this?” 

“My temporary engagement ring. Richard bought a blue moonstone because he intended to propose on the night of the blue moon.”

“Richard? So sentimental?”

“Also practical. He didn’t want to buy me a real engagement ring because he didn’t feel sure of my taste. He wants me to choose my own because I’m going to wear it for a long time, so it should be something I like. So I’ll wear this one on my right hand.” Camille moved the ring. “It fits better there anyway.”

“Oh, Ma Chère, I’m so happy for you!” Catherine embraced her daughter. “I’ll make a special dinner for tonight.”

“Don’t be obvious and don’t tell anyone!”

“I won’t _tell,_ but may I call Fidel and Dwayne to invite them to dinner? They’re almost family.”

“Yes, but just them. And of course, that means Juliet, too. And Rosie if they can’t get a sitter. But that’s all.”

“Oui, Ma Chère.”

From there, Camille went to the jeweler in Honoré to have the ring size checked. She also had her fingers measured for ring size. She said it was to help her decide whether to wear the ring on her left or right hand. While the jeweler was looking at the ring through his loupe, checking that the setting was tight, Camille browsed at other items. 

After she left the jeweler, she sent Richard a text.

_K. One maybe over here. XOXO C_

Camille drove to Victoire to buy her dress. While she was there, she gave in to temptation and bought the silk nightgown. She’d have to pay attention to how long she actually wore it so she could calculate the cost per minute. That thought made her smile. It was a very _Richard_ thing to do. 

She stopped for coffee and checked her messages. Richard had sent three photos. She sent a text.

_OMG! 3 definitely 3!! See, you DO know my taste! Love, Love, LOVE! C_

-o-o-o-o-

Camille ran a few more errands, then met Richard at the ferry. They drove to her house because it was closer. 

“Let me see!”

“Which first?”

“Umm, the suit.”

Richard took the cream-colored suit out of the bag.

“It’s going to be a disaster for getting dirty, but I said I wanted light.”

“Oh, but it’s perfect!” 

“And, what the hell, I called on Wednesday and bought a second one so they’d have it ready today, too. It’s a bit more practical.” He removed a tan suit from the bag.

“That’s nice, too.” 

Richard smiled and pulled a small box from his pocket. “I did buy one other thing.”

“Oh!” Camille exclaimed as he took out the ring. “It’s even prettier than in the picture. I love it, and I’ll love wearing it, and I love you!”

Later, Richard asked, “I, um, in the excitement of, um, I forgot to ask how your day went.”

“I got just what I wanted in Victoire, but nothing you can see until the big day.”

“Good. We’re really making progress. So we can make the announcement tonight, as planned?”

“Yes. Um, Maman knows. One of her friends saw you kiss me this morning, and called Maman within seconds. So I had to tell her. Maman, that is, not Marguerite. And I swore her to secrecy. But if Marguerite saw us, the whole island will be talking about us.”

Richard sighed, “I suppose that was inevitable.”

Camille giggled, “When I talked to Father Roget, even he had heard rumors. Apparently the church secretary is very plugged into the local gossip circuit.”

“Oh, bother. What did he say?”

“Well, all that really happened in public is that you kissed me, so he could hardly lecture me about that. I told him we were getting married, and why we want it to be so soon. There isn’t time for a pre-Cana class, thank goodness. I told him we were old enough to know what we wanted in a marriage and that we didn’t need the classes.”

“So we’re on the calendar?”

“Yes. And he said he forgives you.”

“Whatever for? What did you tell him?”

“That you’re C of E. He tsk’d a bit about Fat Henry, but he says he’ll let me marry you anyway. I think he’s actually worried that you might be a bit of a pagan with your fascination with astronomy.” Camille giggled again. “He also reminded me that the ‘Dearly beloved’ speech includes a reference to marriage being a ‘remedy against sin,’ and that it was good that we wanted to be remedied so soon.”

-o-o-o-o-

Catherine had spent the day cooking and answering the phone. The island grapevine was burning up. She was dying to tell people, but she’d promised Camille. So she stuck to “I don’t know” and “I’m not sure” and “I hope so, but…” 

When Richard and Camille arrived at La Kaz, hand in hand, Catherine couldn’t help herself. She ran to the couple, and much to Richard’s surprise—and Camille’s amusement—embraced him first. 

“Don’t you look good!” Catherine said, taking in Richard’s linen trousers and open-at-the neck white shirt. “I like this combination. And isn’t it cooler than the suit and tie?”

“Yes,” Richard admitted, although he still felt naked in public without the suit and tie. 

Catherine hugged her daughter. “Ma Chère, I am so glad you bought that dress. It’s nice to have something new for a special evening.”

“And I told you I had earrings that would go with it.” Camille replied, pushing her hair back. She hadn’t done it intentionally—although Richard would later remark that ever since he put the ring on her finger she’d become left handed—but the movement of her hands showed that she was wearing two rings. 

Catherine squealed when she saw that Camille’s moonstone had been replaced by a diamond ring. She held Camille’s left hand and admired the way the leaf design on the band swirled up to hold the solitaire diamond.

“It’s so beautiful! Richard, did you pick this out?”

“Sort of. I narrowed it to three, and Camille chose this.”

“If you’d had to make the decision, which one would you have chosen?” Camille asked.

“I’d like to be clever and say that one. But I might not have if I hadn’t known how much you liked the art nouveau look of the moonstone ring. I mean, I bought that because of the stone, not the setting. But of the three finalists, I was fairly sure you’d pick this one.

-o-o-o-o-

On the way to La Kaz, Juliet said, “I hope it’s all right to bring Rosie. It was just too short notice to arrange anything.”

“Catherine said it was a family party and that Rosie is part of the family. If she gets tired, we’ll just leave early. But you know how our girl likes the attention.”

“I know. I do worry that she’ll become a spoiled brat.”

“She’s a happy baby, so I don’t think she’ll become a brat. Will you, sweetie?” Fidel looked at his daughter in her car seat. Rosie made baby noises at him.

“So, do you think the Chief and Camille are finally going to admit they’re together? Mother said she heard from Mrs. Bouchet who heard from Mrs. Sievers that they were seen kissing this morning at the ferry. And Camille visited the jeweler.”

“I hope they admit to something. I’m getting tired of pretending I don’t suspect anything. They’ve been working up to this point for ages.”

“They were very sweet the night we went to listen to Ross, sneaking looks at each other. His face softened, and she looked so dreamy. We’ve been together so long that it’s hard to remember those early days. You know, when you’re not sure about how the other person feels, and you don’t know what to do.”

“I remember that part,” Fidel said with a laugh. “When I asked you to marry me, I was so terrified you’d say no.”

“As if I would have! Do you think the Chief will find the courage to propose to Camille?”

“I don’t know. But if he doesn’t, Camille will propose to him!”

They arrived just as Catherine was admiring Camille’s ring. Juliet saw the glint of the diamond, and ran to Camille. 

Fidel congratulated his boss and the two men watched Juliet and Camille hug and talk excitedly. 

“Fidel?” asked Richard.

“Yes?”

“How far away can a woman spot a diamond? I mean, Juliet made a beeline for Camille the instant you arrived.”

Fidel just laughed. The Chief had a lot to learn about women, that was for sure.

Dwayne arrived a few minutes later.

“Hey,” he said. “I heard that there’s some good news coming.”

“We’re engaged!” Camille cried as she ran to Dwayne. 

“Oh, thank God! Fidel and I, we were getting pretty tired of waiting for you two figure this out.” He hugged her and whispered, “So the fireworks were pretty good, huh?” 

Camille whispered, “Fantastic!”

Catherine appeared with champagne, and toasts were drunk to the happy couple. They sat at the table Catherine had set on the patio, and her waiter carried out platters of food. One was piled high with seafood; the other had roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and roasted potatoes. 

Richard, of course, opted for roast beef. Camille peeled a few shrimp and put them on his plate. 

“At least try them,” she said.

“I’ve had shrimp before. I like them, actually. It’s the face part that puts me off.”

“All right. From now on, it’s my job to deface your seafood. Wait, that sounds wrong, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it sounds as if you’re going to cover them with graffiti. But I do appreciate your help.”

After they finished eating, the group remained at the table, chatting. The waiter cleared plates and Catherine went to the bar for rum and a pot of coffee. She offered to make tea for Richard, but he declined anything more to drink. 

Word had spread around the island, and friends and acquaintances stopped by to hear the news and say their congratulations.

“Well, it’s about time, I must say,” a voice boomed out. Richard and Camille exchanged a nervous look. Was all that talk about breaking rules going to hold?

“Congratulations!” Commissioner Patterson shook Richard’s hand and kissed Camille’s cheek. “When I heard, I thought what a happy day for Saint Marie! Dare I hope this means you have decided to stay here, Inspector?”

Camille shot Richard an _I told you so_ glance, and Richard said, “Yes, sir. I do intend to stay here.”

“Excellent news. I’ll inform the Met first thing on Monday. And once again, congratulations.” Patterson moved off to chat with people at other tables. 

Camille smiled and said, “So you did understand his metaphor correctly. We don’t seem to create any problem, and by marrying you, I’m doing him a favor because it keeps you here.”

Music drifted over to the patio from the bar. Catherine held Rosie so that Juliet and Fidel could dance. When the band played a slow song, Richard stood and held out his hand to Camille. “You know, we never did have that dance.”

“No, we didn’t.” Camille rose and they joined other couples who were dancing on the patio. Camille glanced back at the table and nudged Richard. Catherine held Rosie on her lap. She had the child’s arm in her hand and was helping the baby wave at them. 

Richard sighed, “Your mother never gives up, does she?”

Camille laughed and whispered, “We have plenty of time for that. And think how much fun it will be trying.”


	9. Epilogue

On September 22, a small group of people gathered at l’Eglise de Sainte Anne in Honoré as Father Roget officiated at the wedding of Richard Poole and Camille Bordey. Richard wore a beige linen suit, but no tie. In order not to blend in with his suit, he had acquired a slight tan. On closer inspection, Camille could see that the tan was more a collection of freckles, but it was an improvement over his usual pallor. Instead of a traditional wedding gown, Camille wore the cream-colored sundress she’d bought in Victoire. Instead of a veil, she wore flowers in her hair. 

Father Roget had thought Richard was joking when he requested that the ceremony be timed so that they were pronounced man and wife at exactly 4:44 in the afternoon, the moment of the fall equinox. But Richard had insisted that so many important moments in their relationship had taken place during astronomical events that they wanted this one to follow in that pattern. The priest muttered something about Saint Marie not being Stonehenge, but he agreed. Camille made Richard leave his watch at home so that he’d be looking at her and not checking his watch at the moment they became husband and wife. 

The reception at La Kaz was a lively party, with a band playing and food and drink served liberally. The party grew as people from Honoré and other towns around the island stopped by to wish the couple well, and have a drink and a bit of wedding cake. Camille had explained to Richard that this wasn’t considered crashing, it was considered joining in. So, despite disliking being the center of attention, he convinced himself to relax and enjoy it. And, much to his surprise, he did.

-o-o-o-o-

Richard and Camille lived in the beach house for a while, but eventually decided it was too small and inconvenient. Camille had kept the lease on her house in Honoré, so they moved there shortly after the summer solstice festival. The DS who had moved from the other side of the island to take Camille’s job at the station was happy to move into the beach house. 

A little more than a year later, on October 8, the night of a full moon, Camille gave birth to a daughter. Richard had not been looking at his watch at the time. In fact, in the excitement, he’d completely forgotten that it was a full moon that night. But later, when he looked at the birth certificate, he noticed that the time of birth was very close to the moment of the full moon. Camille said it was an omen. Richard said it was coincidence. But they agreed on the perfect name for a child whose parents’ romance had followed astronomical events. And so, a month later (during the week of the Leonid meteor showers, but they didn’t tell Father Roget that) the baby was christened Celeste Catherine Poole.

And they all lived happily ever after!


End file.
